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NEMO Switchback Foam Sleeping Pad Review

NEMO Switchback Review

The NEMO Switchback is an accordion-style closed-cell foam sleeping pad that can be used as an ultralight pad by itself or to augment the warmth of a second sleeping pad when sleeping outdoors in colder weather. It’s quite similar to the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol sleeping pad, but made with modern materials and precisely molded. Like the Z Lite Sol, one side of the pad is coated with aluminum to reflect your body heat back at you and keep you warmer.

NEMO Switchback Foam Sleeping Pad

Comfort
Weight
Durability
Packed Size
Insulation Value

Highly Compressible Folding Foam Mattress

The NEMO Switchback is a accordion-style foam sleeping pad that folds together for compact storage. It has a reflective coating to prevent body heat loss and keep you warmer.

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Specs at a Glance

  • Type: Closed-Cell Foam
  • R-Value: 2 (updated January, 2020)
  • Thickness: 0.9 in / 2.3 cm
  • Weight: 14.5 oz / 415 g
  • Length x width: 72 x 20 in / 183 cm x 51 cm
  • Packed Size: 5 x 5.5 x 20 in / 13 x 14 x 51 cm
  • Color: Pumpkin

If you’ve never owned an accordion-style foam pad, they’re a useful piece of backpack gear to have around because they can serve so many purposes. I’ve used them as virtual frames in frameless backpacks, extra insulation under an inflatable sleeping pad, sit pads to keep my bum warm and dry, hammock insulation, winter stove insulation, hot water bottle insulation, insulated seats for pack rafts, even as shims to keep air conditioners from falling out of windows. You just need a sharp pair of scissors and your imagination to figure out ways to use them.

The Switchback (right) folds up more compactly than a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite (left) even though they both have 14 panels and are 72" long.
The Switchback (right) folds up more compactly than a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite (left) even though they both have 14 panels and are 72″ long.

What makes the Switchback Different?

The Switchback’s main competitor is the legendary Therm-a-Rest Z Lite sleeping pad. That accordion-style foam sleeping pad has been around for as long as I can remember. The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol is coated on one side with an aluminum film like the Switchback.

The Switchback takes everything that’s good about that pad and makes it better. Well, almost everything. The Switchback is a bit thicker, for instance, measuring 0.9 inches thick compared to the Z Lite Sol’s 0.75 inch thickness. It also weighs about a half-ounce more at 14.5 oz, compared to the Z Lite Sol, which weighs 14 oz. Despite that, the Switchback folds up more compactly because the raised portions of the pad slot in better with the recessed areas. This makes it easier to strap to the side of your backpack or under a floating lid.

The Switchback is also a good deal more comfortable than a Z Lite Sol, perhaps enough to convince you to switch from an inflatable pad to a foam pad again. NEMO uses two types of foam in the Switchback, a softer foam that comes in contact with your body and a more durable foam that reduces pad compression over time, while Therm-a-Rest uses just one type of foam in the Z Lite Sol. Both pads are also comparable in price: a 72″ NEMO Switchback retails for $50, while the regular length Z Lite Sol costs $45, and is available in a variety of lengths.

The Switchback (bottom) has a very different pattern of peaks and valleys than the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol
The Switchback (bottom) has a very different pattern of peaks and valleys than the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol (top).

R-values Comparison

The NEMO Switchback and the Therm-a-Rest Zlite have R-values equal to 2.0, based on the new sleeping pad temperature rating standard.

Both the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol (top) and the Switchback (bottom) have an aluminum coating that reflect your body heat back at you.
Both the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol (top) and the Switchback (bottom) have an aluminum coating that reflect your body heat back at you.

An R-value of 2-3 is good for 3 season use, while an R-value of 5-6 is good for sleeping on snow. Sleeping pad R-values are also additive, so you can stack two sleeping pads to create enough insulation to sleep on snow in winter.

Sleeping Pad R-Values and Air Temperature in Degrees

What’s the correlation between air temperature and sleeping pad R-values? When do you need a pad with a higher R-value? This table is based on Exped’s recommendations in Fahrenheit and Celsius degrees.

Air Temperature (F):503025100-15-25-40
Minimum R-Value12345678
Air Temperature (C):10-1-4-12-18-26-32-40
Minimum R-Value12345678

In addition:

  • R-values are additive, so you can combine two pads to increase your warmth level.
  • Women need higher R-values pads because they have lower body mass than men. An additional R-value of 1 is usually a good hedge for women and other cold sleepers
The Switchback is only available in a pumpkin-like color. Too bad. It would have been even more useful in blaze orange.
The Switchback is only available in a pumpkin-like color. Too bad. It would have been even more useful in blaze orange.

Recommendation

The NEMO Switchback is actually a well-engineered and very comfortable closed-cell foam sleeping pad, despite its lack of an R-value rating. While it’s not as comfortable as an inflatable sleeping pad, it is definitely competitive with the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol in terms of design, manufacturing, and materials. It’s really about time that someone went head-to-head with Therm-a-Rest when it comes to closed-cell foam sleeping pads. While the NEMO Switchback is in many respects a knock-off of the Z Lite Sol, it is a comparable knock-off, which is a pretty impressive feat, if you think about the engineering and design that goes into making high-quality foam products on an industrial scale.

Disclosure: NEMO provided the author with a sleeping pad for this review.

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7 comments

  1. I have one of these and I love it. It’s acceptably comfortable used without any other insulation. After much deliberation, I cut mine into 8 and 6 and use both (not at the same time). I contacted Nemo about which way up to use it as on their website it is shown as orange side up. I was told that this is the correct way as the silver is more abrasion resistant.

  2. How does this sort of pad at R2 do in winter on a wooden shelter floor?

    That is to say, is the floor of a wooden-floored shelter the same as winter ground/snow?

    I’m thinking of this sort of pad as a backup for hammock-hanging as a way to use a shelter. . .

  3. I actually just bought this pad a week ago for my Utah road trip. I wanted something for the car camping portion without having to inflate by backpacking pad and risk puncturing. I was skeptical but after 3 nights on it I’m actually really impressed. It is surprisingly comfortable but I will say not as good as the inflatable type for side sleepers. I figured out a side-esk position that works and added a t-shirt under my hip the first night. The second night I apparently already got used to it lol definitely recommend – it’s my first accordion style though so not much to compare too!

  4. I’ve owned and used one since they issued. Great pad often used in combination with the company’s Tensor for extra comfort.

    Folks I see carry the pad horizontally under straps. I carry mine vertically in a lightweight but solid bungy cradle/retainer set up, typically on a GG Mariposa.

    This vertical arrangement saved my back in Alaska. It had rained nine days solid and I fell from one slippery rock on an obstructing pile that had fallen to another with enough force to break my back. I nearly bounced straight up and recovered without injury other than newly unclean underwear.

    Never saw it coming and didn’t design my arrangement for anything other than horizontal carry as a snag problem potentially. And so now you know.

    The product has performed really well under a wide range of circumstances.

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